Seam guides for sewing machines



Dec. 5, 1961 R. E. JOHNSON 3,011,461

SEAM GUIDES FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWW BY A TTORNEY Dec. 5, 1961 R. E. JOHNSON 3,011,461

SEAM GUIDES FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 44 Fig lo 38 I INVENTOR- 45 Fig.9 Ralph E. Johnson WITNESS mw w QM TORNE Y United States Patent Ofifice 3,011,461 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,461 SEAM GUIDES FOR SEWING MACHINES Ralph E. Johnson, Mountainside, N.J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 24, 1957, Ser. No. 692,155 9 Claims. (Cl. 112-153) This invention rel-ates to seam guides ad-apted to be used with sewing machines and has for one of its primary objects to provide an improved device of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved three-part seam guide that is easy to assemble and disassemble, but which is so constructed and arranged that once assembled it will not, of its own accord, be-

come disassembled.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a seam guide which will render it possible for a sewing machine operator to: (a) obtain uniform widths of seams; (b) stitch a straight seam parallel to the edge of a fabric; stitch a curved seam; (d) apply decorative stitching along lapels and facing edges, around collars and pockets, and as a finish for hems; and (e) blind stitch taped, bound, turned or unfinished hems.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure," the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a sewing machine to which a seam guide embodying the present invention has been attached;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are views of the three separate parts of the seam guide of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a sewing machine bed plate showing the seam guide in two positions;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 indicate the method of assembling and disassembling the seam guide of this invention; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 5.

The seam guide which embodies the present invention is shown applied to a sewing machine having, among other elements, a work supporting bed 16, a head 17, a presse'rbar 18 equipped with a Presser-foot 1'9 having a bifurcated toe portion 20, and a needle-bar 21 equipped with an eye-pointed needle 22. The bed 16 is apertured at 23 and thereby accommodates a throat-plate 24 and a slide-plate 26. The bed 16 also has two attachmentholding threaded holes 27 and 28, and an oil hole 29.

The seam guide of the present invention is indicated generally by the numeral 31 and comprises three parts, viz, a seam guide body member 32, a clamping screw 33 and, a seam guide arm 34.

The seam guide body 32 (FIG. 2) has a cylindrical base 36 provided with a hollow 37, and a clamping screw aperture comprising a coaxially extending hole 38 and a coaxially positioned recess 39. The upper surface of the cylindrical base 36 carries a diametrically extend ing raised portion 41, opposite ends of which are provided with upstanding, overhanging and inwardly extending fingers 42-42.

The clamp screw 33 (FIG. 3) comprises a smooth end 43, a shank 44 threaded at 45, a flange 46 and a head 47. The head 47 has a lower rim 48 and an upper roughened handle 49. The lower surface of the rim 48 and the upper surface of the flange 46 are spaced apart and thereby define an annular groove or reduced neck portion 51.

The seam guide arm 34 (FIG. 4) is in the form of a thin elongated flexible plate having a main body portion 52 and a free end body portion 53 extending in line with and from one end of the main portion 52. The free terminal of the end body portion 53 has a depending or downturned work guiding foot 54 providing an inwardly extending rounded toe portion 55 forming a knee 56 which is especially adapted for sewing curved seams. The main portion 52 has a longitudinally extending elongated slot or hole which has a narrow opening 58 and a wide opening 59. The wide opening 59 and the narrow opening 58 are joined by a pair of converging shoulders 60-60, and the center-line of one opening is in register with the centerline of the other opening. A spring finger 61 extends into the closed end of the wide opening 59 in such manner that the center line of the finger 61 and the center line of the wide opening 59 are collinear. As best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the free end of the finger 61 is bent upwardly so as to extend above the upper surface of the guide arm 34. Attention is called to the fact that a groove 62 (FIGS. 2 and 6) formed by the fingers 42-42 overhanging the raised portion 41 is of proper size slidably toreceive the main portion 52 of the guide arm 34. Also the groove 62 has a longitudinal axis which intersects the axis of the clamping screw aperture 38-39. The width of the narr-ow opening 58 of the hole 58-59 is less than the diameter of the flange 46 or the rim 48 and at the same time is larger than the diameter of the shank 44 at the annular groove 51. This allows the shank 44 at the groove 51, to slide in the narrow opening 58. Also, the Width of the wide opening 59 of the hole 58-59 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flange 46, and the distances between the free end of the finger 61 and the shoulders 60-60 are greater than the size of the flange 46. Thus, the flange 46 of the screw 33 can be passed through the wide opening 59' of the hole 58-59. However, the upwardly bent finger '61, as best seen in FIG. 8, prevents the bottom surface of the rim 48 from becoming flush with the upper surface of the guide arm 34, and thus the finger 61 has to be depressed before the shank 44 at the groove 51 can fit into the narrow opening 58 of the hole 58-59. In reverse manner, when the shank 44 is to be removed from the guide arm 34, the upwardly bent finger 61 interferes with such removal (see FIG. 9) until the finger 61 has been depressed.

Since the guide arm 34 is made of thin metal, or the like, the arm 34 is flexible. Thus, when the free end portion of the arm 34 is hooked over the toe portion 20 of the pressenfoot 19, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the guiding -foot 54-56 will be raised from the work piece and bed 16, whenever the resser-foot 19, which is carried by the resser-bar 18, is raised. This facilitates placing and adjusting the work piece.

The body 32, the clamping screw 33 and the guide arm 34 are assembled in the following manner. First the m'ain portion 52 (FIG. 7) of the guide arm 34 is slipped lengthwise over the top of the raised portion 41 of'the body 32 theilange 46 of the screw 33 are passed through this circle until the lower surface of the rim 48 rests on the top of the finger 61. In this position the part of the shank 44 defined by the groove 51 cannot quite enter the .narrow opening 58 of the hole 58-59. Next the top of the handle 49 of the screw 33 is pressed sufliciently (FIG. 8) to bend the finger 61 into the plane of the portion 52 of the arm 34, whereupon that part of the shank 44 defined by the groove 51 enters the narrow opening 58 of the hole 58-59 and the parts are assembled in such a manner that they will remain assembled until purposely disassembled.

The body 32, screw 33, and arm 34 are disassembled (FIG. 9) by moving the body 32 and the screw 33 to the end of the hole 58--59 until the outer circumferential edge of the rim 48 engages the end of the finger 61. Then the finger 61 is depressed into the plane of the portions 52 of the arm 34 whereupon the finger passes below the lower surface of the rim 48. This permits the flange 46 to be removed through the hole defined by the shoulders 60--60 and the end of the finger 61.

The seam guide 31 of the present invention may be used in many diiferent ways to increase and improve the effectiveness of a sewing machine. For example, (a) The present seam guide 31 can be used to obtain uniform width of seams. To do this the seam guide 31 is attached to the sewing machine by entering the screw 33 into one of the threaded holes 2728 and by adjusting the plate 54 to space the stitching at any desired distance from the edge of the fabric, (b) In like manner the present seam guide 31 may be used to stitch a straight seam parallel to the edge of a fabric, By rotating the arm 34 about the screw 33 in the manner shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5, the knee 56 of the present seam guide 31 can be used to stitch a curved seam, (d) when used with a sewing machine capable of doing decorative stitching, the present seam guide 31 may be used to apply decorative stitching along lapels and facing edges, around collars and pockets and as a finish for hems, and (e) in much the same manner as shown in FIG. 1, the present seam guide 31 may be used to blindstitch taper, bound, turned or unifinished hems.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A seam guide for sewing machines comprising in combination a body provided with a recess formed in a central portion thereof; a pair of upstanding fingers integrally formed on said body and defining a groove in said body, said groove being located above said recess; a thin elongated seam guide arm entering said groove and said arm being provided with an elongated slot; a guiding foot depending from the free end of said guide arm; a clamping screw having a shank, said shank being located in the. recess in said body; and a head having a rim formed on said screw, the bottom of said rim defining the top of an annular groove formed in said screw, the portion of said screw defined by said annular groove being received by the elongated slot in said seam guide arm.

2. A seam guide for sewing machines comprising in combination a body provided with a recess formed in a central portion thereof; a pair of upstanding fingers formed on said body and defining a groove in said body, said groove being located above said recess; a thin elongated seam guide arm entering said groove and said arm being provided with an elongated slot; a finger extending into one end of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said seam guide arm; a guiding foot depending from the free end of said guide arm; a clamping screw; a flange on said screw, said flange being located in the recess in said body; and a head, having a rim, formed on said screw, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove formed in said screw, the portion of said screw defined by said annular groove being received by the elongated slot in said seam guide arm.

3. A seam guide for sewing machines comprising in combination a body provided with a recess formed in a central portion thereof; a pair of upstanding fingers formed on said body and defining a groove in said body, said groove being located above said recess; a thin elongated seam guide arm entering said groove and said arm being provided with an elongated slot; a pair of convergent shoulders formed as a part of the boundary of said slot; a finger extending into one end of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said seam guide arm, the said two shoulders and the free end of said finger cooperating to define a circle; a guiding foot depending from the free end of said guide arm; a clamping screw; a flange on said screw, said flange being located in the recess in said body; and a head, having a rim, formed on said screw, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove formed in said screw, the portion of said screw defined by said annular groove being received by the elongated slot in said seam guide arm.

4. A seam guide for sewing machines comprising in combination a body provided with a recess; a pair of upstanding fingers formed on said body and defining a groove; a thin elongated seam guide arm entering said groove and said arm being provided with an elongated slot having a narrow opening and a wide opening; a pair of convergent shoulders formed on said arm at the location where the wide opening of said slot joins the narrow opening thereof; a finger extending into one end of the wide opening of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said seam guide arm, the said two shoulders and the free end of said finger cooperating to define a circle; a guiding foot depending from the free end of said guide arm; a clamping screw; a flange on said screw, said flange being located in the recess in said body; and a head, having a rim, formed on said screw, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove, the portion of said screw defined by said annular groove being received by the elongated slot in said seam guide arm.

5. A seam guide for sewing machines comprising in combination a body provided with a recess; a pair of upstanding fingers formed on said body and defining a groove; a thin elongated seam guide arm having a wide main portion and a narrow end portion, said main portion entering said groove in said body and being provided with an elongated slot having a narrow opening and a wide opening; a pair of convergent shoulders formed on said arm at the location where the wide opening of said slot joins the narrow opening thereof; a finger extending into one end of the wide opening of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said seam guide arm, the said two shoulders and the free end of said finger cooperating to define a circle; a guiding foot depending from the free end of the narrow end portion of said guide arm, said guiding foot being L-shaped and thereby providing a knee portion; a clamping screw; 21 flange on said screw, said flange being located in the recess in said base; and a head, having a rim, formed on said screw, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove, the portion of said screw defined by said annular groove being received by the elongated slot in said seam guide arm.

6. A seam guide for sewing machines comprising in combination a body provided with a cylindrical base having a hole and a recess; a raised portion extending across the top of said base; a pair of upstanding fingers overhanging opposite ends of said raised portion and therewith defining a groove; a thin elongated seam guide arm having a wide main portion and a narrow end portion, said main portion entering said groove in said base and being provided with an elongated slot having a narrow opening and a wide opening; a pair of convergent shoulders formed on said arm at the location where the wide opening of said slot joins the narrow opening thereof; a finger extending into one end of the wide opening of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said seam guide arm, the said two shoulders and the free end of said finger cooperating to define a circle; a guiding foot depending from the free end of the narrow end portion of said guide arm, said guiding foot being L-shaped and thereby providing a knee portion; a clamping screw having a threaded shank that passes through the recess in said base; a flange on said shank, said flange being positioned above the threaded portion thereof and located in the recess in said base; and a head, having a rim and a handle, formed on the upper end of said shank, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove formed around a portion of the shank, said annular groove portion of said shank being received by the narrow opening of the elongated slot in said seam guide arm.

7. A seam guide for a sewing machine comprising a body member provided with a clamping screw aperture formed in a central portion thereof; a pair of upwardly and inwardly extending fingers formed integral with said body member and defining'a groove in said body, said groove being located above said aperture having a longitudinal axis intersecting the axis of said clamping screw aperture; a thin elongated seam guide arm having a body portion disposed in said groove for endwise slidable movement, said seam guide arm at one end having a depending work guiding foot and in its body portion an elongated slot; and a clamping screw disposed in said clamping screw aperture in said body member and having at one end a head formed with a rim and provided heneath said rim with an integral reduced neck portion located in the elongated slot of said seam guide arm whereby said screw is held captive and the parts of the said seam guide are retained in assembled relation.

8. In an attachment of the class described, means for assembling and disassembling a plurality of parts, said plurality of parts comprising a thin elongated arm part provided with an elongated slot; a pair of convergent shoulders forming part of the boundary of said slot; a finger extending into one end of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said arm part, and the said two shoulders and the free end or" said finger cooperating to define a circle; a shank part; a flange on said shank part; a rim on said shank part, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove; the various portions of the parts being so constructed and arranged that when said flange enters said circle the lower surface of the rim rests on the top of said finger, and when said finger is depressed said flange fully passes through said circle until the portion of said shank part between the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange enters said slot in said arm part, and when the end of said finger is bent upwardly it engages the rim, thereby preventing the shank part from becoming disassembled from the arm part until after the finger is depressed.

9 In an attachment of the class described, means for assembling and disassembling a plurality of parts, said plurality of parts comprising a body part provided with a recess formed in the central portion of said body part and having a portion of said body part defining a goove located above said recess; a thin elongated arm part entering said groove in said body part and said arm part being provided with an elongated slot; a pair of convergent shoulders forming part of the boundary of said slot;

a finger extending into one end of said slot, the free end of said finger being bent upwardly above the plane of the top of said arm part and said two shoulders and the free end of said finger cooperating to define a circle; a shank part; a flange on said shank part; a rim on said shank part, the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange defining an annular groove formed in said shank, and various portions of the parts being so constructed and arranged that when said recess and the circle defined by said two shoulders and the free end of said finger are coaxial, the said flange can pass through the circle and enter said recess in said body part until the lower surface of the rim rests on the top of said finger, and when said finger is depressed said fiange fully passes through said circle and fully enters said recess in said body part until the portion of said shank part between the bottom of said rim and the top of said flange enters said slot in said arm part, and when the end of said finger is bent upwardly it engages the rim, thereby preventing the shank part from becoming disassembled from the arm part and the flange from leaving the recess in said body part until after the finger is depressed.

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